10 March 2015

Totally Unsubstantiated Serial Podcast Theory

I, like many people on this planet, have a very addictive personality. This is true of pizza, slot machines, Gossip Girl, my cell phone, not running in marathons (totally addicted to that), and my latest addiction, Serial. I skipped lunches in favor of sitting in my car for an extra hour, so I could squeeze in an extra podcast that day. I finished the dang thing in 3 days. I have a Serial Podcast Theory.

If you haven't listened to the Podcast Serial yet, stop reading this blog post.

I have included several images of my favorite thing in the world, animals getting "booped", before I begin discussing Serial today. So anyone who hasn't listened can't see the rest of this post, so I won't be spoiling anything for you.

Stop reading. Escape out of Venus Trapped in Mars.

Go to Serial's website and immediately start with episode one... report back when you are finished.

For those of you who have listened to Serial... so, like, all of the planet... scroll past these heart warming pictures and let's discuss.

and finally... a boop gone horribly wrong!

Ok. SERIAL.

OH EM GEE

So I have a theory. I finished Serial before I left for my Miami trip, so forgive me, but it has been about a month since I listened to the last podcast. I didn't think my theory was that different, I assumed other people had come to the same conclusion as I had. But when I started telling people my theory, no one I had talked to thought of it from that point of view.

My theory, that is totally and utterly unsubstantiated, points to Jenn. Jenn and Jay may have killed Hae. Here is what I think might have happened...

Jenn knew just as much about Hae's murder as Jay did. I'm still boggled that she didn't get any kind of charges. She knew where Hae was for 6 weeks and told no one. She was an accomplice by her own admittance, helping to clean the shovels and dispose of Jay's clothes, boots.

I think Jenn and Jay murdered Hae IN Hae's car. Jenn in the front, Jay in the back. Both holding Hae down, working together in the murder. I believe Jenn and Jay then drive to Jenn's house, to formulate a plan in a private place. Jenn driving Hae's car, Jay following in Adnan's car behind them. They then drove to Jenn's house - where her parents were not home - and they both lift and transfer Hae's body to Adnan's trunk, in private.

I can keep going with explanation for calls and what happened throughout the rest of the day, but you get the point.

Ok so let's speculate that Jenn and Jay do it, but why?

Three Motive Theories I have :

(none of which were premeditated)

Motive #1:

Hae spots Adnan's car in a parking lot nearby to where she is supposed to be picking up her cousin. She knows Jay has Adnan's car, because Adnan had asked Hae for a ride just minutes earlier. Hae drives over because she wants to buy weed for her and Don, who are hanging out later.

Hae unexpectedly catches Jay and Jenn together, sexually together, cheating on Hae's friend Stephanie. Things accidentally/passionately/spur of the moment escalate from there. Jenn and Jay kill Hae in the heat of the moment.

Motive #2

Hae sees Adnan's car and goes over to remind/tell Jay that Adnan is needing his car back. Hae catches Jay and Jenn together, sexually, cheating on her friend Stephanie. "How could you two do this, it's her damn birthday!! I'm going immediately to tell her!" Hae screams at Jay and Jenn. Things get out of hand. Jenn and Jay kill Hae in the heat of the moment.

Motive #3

Either of the above scenarios happen when she spots Adnan's car: going to buy weed, or going to tell Jay that Adnan needs a ride. But then Hae stumbles in on something totally different. Some drug deal way worse. Some crime way worse. Something that she was NOT supposed to see. Jay and Jenn (and maybe even someone else we do not know about) kill Hae.

Sarah Koenig's smoking gun: The Nisha Call.

Nisha recalls that the only time she ever spoke to Jay was at the Porn store. That is not something a high school aged girl forgets, when she speaks to someone that works at a PORN STORE. That is not something that happens every day-- one of those giggle-worthy situations.

OK BUT, Jay didn't work at the porn store during Hae's murder.

My explanations:

1. Butt dial.

2. Butt dial, turned "oh shit!" freakout from Jay. Followed by Jenn grabbing the phone and saying, "lemme just talk to her." Have we figured out if Jenn and Nisha were friends? It is very possible they were. Alas, Nisha wouldn't distinctly remember a two minute call from her friend, Jenn.

3. Not really an explanation, but if Adnan had just killed Hae, who was Nisha and Adnan's mutual friend, why would you be intentionally calling Nisha in the first place? To shoot the shit with her? "Wassup girl, what's happening?" Seems way off...

Ok am I crazy? Did I lose you? Do you agree? Should I shut up? Can someone please call and wish Stephanie a belated Happy Birthday... it was her BIRTHDAY, she would have remembered every single detail of that day, I remember every second of my birthday.....

WHY ARE WE NOT TALKING TO STEPHANIE ABOUT WHY HER BOYFRIEND WAS NOT WITH HER ON HER BIRTHDAY, DID NOT MAKE ANY CALLS TO HER ON HER BIRTHDAY, DID NOT SPEAK TO HER ON HER BIRTHDAY? I'm not sure about you, but that kind of thing doesn't go over well with a girl. Let's hear from Stephanie next, please.

I digress.... sort of. I'm also opening to discussing the theory of the Jay covering for the serial killer, after reading this.

31 comments
:

I've heard that theory before...I don't know that I necessarily agree but the biggest thing I can't wrap my head around is this...there was a snow storm the day she went missing. It was the middle of the winter. She was missing for 3 weeks...how do we know that she was actually killed on the day that she went missing??? Snow...cold weather...preservation...I mean...I know that forensics can usually tell how long a body has been dead but to narrow that down to a 45 minute window seems impossible to me.

So, I def think that Jenn was involved but i'm not sure in what capacity. Adnan may know a little more than he is letting on. Have you tested this theory against Jay's new timeline: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/29/exclusive-interview-jay-wilds-star-witness-adnan-syed-serial-case-pt-1/

Wait, wait, wait.... Hae was never in Adnan's trunk! She was in her own trunk, and iirc, no evidence was found of her being in Adnan's trunk. And I totally think the "Nisha call" was a butt dial, because back in the day, the phone would ring and ring for a few minutes.. And also, even if you got butt dialed by a cell phone and hung up your home phone, the call would continue to be connected (if you picked back up your home phone you would hear it) until the cell caller disconnected.

I am loving your theory. I got super excited to hear that Adnan is going back to court in the future - I am not 100% certain that he killed Hae and I have always thought Jay had something to do with it...

*applause* I've also been convinced from the beginning that the whole thing goes back to Stephanie somehow. Not that she was involved, but that Jay was up to no good in one way or another, and Hae and/or Adnan were threatening to tell Stephanie.

Well now with this theory I want to go back and listen to it again! Jay is TOTALLY not in the clear and I couldn't ever understand the Jenn connection either....why the heck isn't she charged with anything?

ohhhh heck yes! I've never heard this theory and it makes a lot of sense. Adnan has no alibi because he didn't think he needed one because he didn't do it! Ahhh. Do they have any test results yet from the one dude? I want another podcast like this please and thanks

I haven't listened to the podcasts, but I checked out the website to see what it's about and I'm intrigued and I plan on listening soon. So I scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the comments so I wouldn't spoil anything. Boop.

I am on the same theory as you are and have been since about the middle of the series. I just don't buy that Adnan did it. Interestingly with the people I have talked to about it, the majority of men think Adnan did. There is just not enough evidence to support that he did it. I might buy into the idea that he knows what happened but did he kill Hae, no. Jenn and Jay got caught together by Hae and she was killed because of it. I too slightly support the theory that Jay is covering for a serial killer. There are too many coincidences for it not to be a valid possibility.When Serial was airing, I would check the reddit feeds immediately after listening to the episode just to see what people were able to uncover. There is a lot of evidence on the reddit subforum then was ever presented in the podcast.

Little late to the party with your Serial obsession, huh?! It took over my life for the last few months of 2014. Jenn & Jay working together is the most likely alternate theory, I think, so I'm surprised no one you ran it past had thought about it. Just like the above poster, I spent quite a bit of time on the Serial reddit subforum after the episodes were released, and I recommend you do the same...some really creative theories (and helpful graphics on the timeline and cell phone towers).

Have you listened to Serially Obsessed? It's a pretty hilarious podcast about the Serial podcast.

agh! I had to scroll really fast to not see anything after the pictures :) I Keep hearing about this podcast and have yet To listen! I swear I miss out on everything :( I have bookmarked it on my phone and plan to listen on my 16hr drive this weekend.

I thought the same thing! I finished Serial in a day and a half. I listened while painting my kitchen. I couldn't believe no one pointed their finger at Jay and Jenn it was so obvious to me. I am so glad he is getting an appeal.

I feel like I need to listen to this again now. I listened to it weekly when it first came out, and would also sit in the parking lot at work unable to leave my car.... and was therefore late to work on the regular. I really. really. really. didn't want to think Adnan was guilty. I oscillated back and forth just as much as Sarah K did... and just like you, my final thought was "hell, I don't know what happened. what a bunch of amazing liars." I'm remembering vaguely what my newest hypothesis was about the revelation of the note that was found that she had written her new boyfriend. I really felt like maybe that was much bigger than we though... Either because Adnan found a lovey note in her car that she had written to her new boyfriend and flipped out.... who knows!

I really need to re-listen to this again because after going through reddit I was seeing stuff that I didn't catch the first time. I agree with the ending that Sarah K. gave, someone is lying; if not everyone. Jay and Jen are the biggest liars in the entire thing; they know far too much. And I agree with her producer(?) when she said that if Adnan didn't do it, that he had some serious bad luck.

i listened to it week by week as it was airing and it was torture waiting that long for each episode! i still have no idea what the hell happened but i think that adnan didn't do it. also yay to the cute animal boops!

Great theories! I want to be fully in the Adnan is innocent camp and I totally agree that Jenn had more to do with this whole deal than what she says. I keep up with any updates that are out there. I hope there is some resolution soon!

Also, if you loved Serial...check out The Jinx on HBO....SOOOOO good!!

I blogged about all the questions I have after listening.http://www.handbagsandhandguns.com/2015/02/14-questions-i-have-after-listening-to.html

My coworker thinks Jenn and Jay did it. I definitely think it's a possibility. We don't know everything about that day and probably never will. It bugs me that they put all their faith in a guy whose testimony changed repeatedly and is still changing today. Hello! The girls in this story are just as shady as the guys.

I hope you don't mind but I totally referenced your blog post on mine because I seriously finally started listening to Serial. http://www.mymunozfamily.com/2015/03/serial.html I'm only on the 2nd podcast and I'm hooked!

Your theory definitely holds weight. I agree than Jenn was involved... in some way. I just didn't like how she seemed so calm that she was picky up Jay and he was obviously disposing of evidence. She said NOTHING to no one. I also (obviously) don't think Adnan did it. And the Nisha Call... absolute butt dial. It was more or less proven in the last podcast (IMO). Jay is (still) way too suspect for me. He knows more than he told. His story changed constantly.

Lol!!! Your precautions are much appreciated, especially since they are so adorable. I just started listening (on Monday so naturally I'm on episode 9 already) and I totally think it's Jay. BUT your theory makes so much sense, because Jenn knew a fair bit, did nothing, and was so adamant about supporting Jay even when it was pointed out that he had lied to her on several points.

And why wasn't he with his girlfriend on her birthday?! There was something Adnan said about calling Jay to make sure he got Stephanie a gift, and he hadn't, which just adds to the whole flaky persona that I perceived from all his different stories throughout the process.

I need to finish listening, obviously, but I'm totally with you on this. All the hanging out with Adnan and driving around to random places was deliberate in order to pin the murder on him.